Hierocles of Alexandria was a Neoplatonic philosopher who lived and taught in the 5th century CE. He studied in Athens under Plutarch of Athens before returning to his native Alexandria. His career illustrates the tensions of his era; during the reign of Theodosius II, he was dismissed from his teaching post, publicly beaten, and sent into exile due to policies against pagan teachers. He was later permitted to return to Alexandria.

His major work, On Providence and Fate, is lost and known only from later summaries. His sole surviving work is a Commentary on the Golden Verses of Pythagoras. This text is a detailed Neoplatonic explanation of the famous Pythagorean ethical sayings.

According to modern scholars, Hierocles is significant for demonstrating the practical, ethical side of later Neoplatonism. His commentary shows how Platonic and Pythagorean ideas were combined into a guide for virtuous living and purifying the soul. This work ensured his lasting influence, as it was widely read in the Byzantine world and translated into several languages. His life and lost writings also provide important testimony to the conflicts between pagan philosophers and the Christian imperial government in late antiquity.